1. Technical Field
This document relates to methods and materials involved in treating burn injuries. For example, this document provides methods and materials for using skin grafts (e.g., autologous skin grafts) treatment with an autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) concentrate and human autologous thrombin for the treatment of deep burn injuries.
2. Background Information
Deep skin burns injuries, especially extensive deep burns (i.e., third-degree and deep second-degree burns) extending for example on the face, neck, hands, feet, genitalia, and perineum remain one the most challenging problems for modern medicine. Deep burns are very painful, and there are a many complications associated with deep burns. Extensive deep burn injuries can be associated with difficult and complicated clinical courses (e.g., shock, infection, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), electrolyte imbalance, and respiratory distress) with high morbidity and mortality rates. Therapeutic results sometimes are unacceptable due to functional and cosmetic deficits causing severe psychological and emotional distress, particularly due to scarring and physical deformity (e.g., hypertrophic scars, joint contractures, peripheral neuropathy, psychiatric and psychological diseases, and thermoregulation disorders). Consequently, the quality of life after severe burn injury is markedly decreased.